Beauty

This Harper’s Bazaar Beauty Editor’s Regime Is Insanely Simple!

Some habits are hard to break. Like that childhood fascination of rifling through someone’s purse just to find what wonders it holds. I just couldn’t stop myself from going through my mum and aunt’s handbags and swatching their cosmetics, spritzing their perfumes, et al. At Hauterfly, we still love doing that, although we don’t snoop around in each other’s purses (that would be creepy as hell)!

Instead, we have intense conversations about the brands and products we swear by or our current obsessions like it’s a matter of national importance. What’s more, any opportunity we get to speak to women in the beauty business, we grab with both hands. Today we have the Beauty Director of Harper’s Bazaar IndiaVasudha Rai — who also blogs at vbeauty — dishing out the secrets to her glowing skin and picture perfect pout.

What is your skincare regime like?

I have majorly simplified my routine after a recent trip to Berlin, where I met some amazing experts in organic skincare. I have also removed retinol and chemical exfoliants from my routine completely, which has made my skin plumper and less sensitive.

I wash my face with plain water… no face wash in the morning. I then apply SkinCeuticals C+E Ferulic, which helps brighten skin and prevent fine lines and pigmentation. I then top it with Dr Hauchska Rose Day Cream. I have sensitive skin, so I use VMV Hypoallergenics Armada Sport Sunscreen. It has SPF 60, but once I’m done with it I’m never using a product with SPF higher than 30. SPF 60 offers only .5% more protection than 30, but the number of chemicals used is tenfold.

How often do you use them/top up during the day?

I know you’re supposed to, but really who has the time? Also, I love hats, so they kind of protect my skin if I’m going out in the sun again.

These days it’s very simple, which I love! If I’m wearing mascara (I never wear the waterproof version), I massage my face with pure apricot oil that my yoga teacher got me from Ladakh. Then I wipe it off with a hot towel. If I’m only wearing powder and lipstick (which is almost always the case), I massage a pea-sized drop of Julisis Silver Wash Night with a drop of Manuka Essential Oil into my face. I then splash my face seven times with hot (but not scalding) water. And that’s it. It’s the modern variation of the old Erno Laszlo method. No night creams, etc. for me. I just feel that the more layers I apply, the more my skin needs. This face wash is amazing and it works with the natural rhythm of your skin, helping it naturally regenerate itself at night. The manuka oil is extremely healing, it repairs burns, scars, pigmentation… you name it.

My hair is very fuss-free, but accepting my curly hair took time. My mom has long, straight, beautiful hair so I went through a phase of trying a straightening treatment. The result was absolutely hideous, especially when it started growing out and I had curly hair at the roots. Now my hair regime is super simple. I hate blow-drying or flat ironing my hair, so it’s in fairly good condition. I just shampoo it with whatever free shampoo I get thanks to my job, and then run in some curl defining cream. These days I love BBlunt High Definition Curl. I don’t colour my hair but I go to Suparna Trikha’s salon in Nizamuddin, where they mix henna with a ton of Ayurvedic herbs and apply it after heating it up. The treatment is called hot henna, it’s completely natural, and gives the most beautiful auburn shade to your hair. I get it done once a month.

How often do you wash your hair?

Almost every day, because I like the way it air-dries.

A tip that always works for your hair?

An amazing hairstylist I met in Kuala Lumpur told me that the best way to style my hair was to never touch it. It was the best advice I ever got. The same goes for your skin — just leave it alone. The less you touch it, the better it is. The problem usually goes away by itself.